Rotary manifold



illLLl v o United States Patent 0 1111 ,54 7

[72] Inventor Thomas R. Clark [56] References Cited E Tennessee UNITED STATES PATENTS pp 692,119 1,710,953 4/1929 Sullivan 113/323 [2 1 FM 1967 2,031,742 5/1937 Glaze 118/323- l l W 17,197 2,325,464 7/1943 Bannister 235/133x 1 a and CW1"!!! 2,397,482 4/1946 Griffin 113/323 Wllminztw, 2,640,724 6/1953 Sanders et 31.. 137/355.17x

Iwwmflw Delaware 2,333,903 6/1959 Faber ll8/323X Primary Examiner-Henry T. Klinksiek ROTARY MANIFOLD Attorney-John E. Griffiths 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

.s. c1. 137/594; [52] U 239/7. 239/223; 285/ l 34; 1 18/323 ABSTRACT: A manifold for rotary spray apparatus which (115- [5|] hLCl F16l39/04 tributes coating fluids and air 10 Several p y s The 501 Fieldoi Se a mh 239/223, manifold Separates the air and all coating fluids from each 22 37 355 7 594 595; 235/133 34 90; other and enables the simultaneous application of two ormore 118/323 coating fluids.

Patented Nov, 17, 1970 3,540,475

/2 N0 SPRAY |3 moms R. CLARK INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,475

Sheet 2 012 hllhllhllllD lllhlllllll INVENTOR THOMAS, R. CLARK BY Q TIORNEY I fu'oTARYMANiroLn BACK-GROUNDQF THE INVENTION One type ofxspray machine coats materials moving beneath 'it from s'prayguns' which are attached on long arms similar to spokes of a wheel. As the arms turn the coating is sprayed over I 'Amanifold for spray apparatus of this type which utilizes "one set of inlet conduits, one conduit inside the other, for

feedingat omiz'ing air and coating liquid into a series of dis- -tribution chambers in the manifold, is well known inthe coatin'g art. However, these manifolds have certain disadvantages:

I. Theatomizingair, being under higher pressure than the coating fluid, has a'tendency to leak, entraining many 'small'air bubbles into the liquid fluid line. These bubbles can cause defects in the finished goods.

1 2 The manifolds now in use allow for the convenient application of only one coating fluid stream.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Expressed broadly, the invention provides a manifold useful of the mandrel.

- By separating the air and coating fluid lines into two sets of conduits, the air cannot bleed into the coating fluid. Any leaking between the several air conduits will be inconsequential and bleeding in the coating fluid conduits is less likely since all -fluids will be at equal, relatively low pressures. The separation into"two conduits sets also facilitates the convenient simultaneous application of more than one coating fluid. This capa- :bility makes possible new aesthetic effects on substrate materials by permitting two or more'coating fluids town 1 together .during application producing a swirled or marble cake effect.

'BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS References may be made to the attached drawing in which:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective. view of the apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one nonrotatable means of securing/the device and introducing the fluids into the con- -duits.

' FIG.3--is a. vertical central section view of the apparatus of FIG. is a top view schematic illustration showing the posi- 'tion of the apparatus of the invention relative to the same ""spray "apparatus as in FIG. 4 and also showing the position and relative size oi the substrate materials to be coated.

DESCRIPTION OFTHE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A central verticalsection view of the preferred embodiment isshown in FIG. 3. The entire manifold is symmetrical around *theline A through the mandrel member 13. The air or coating "fluid enters one of the conduit sets 4, andpasses along the I passageways Sand 6. Passageway 5 forms the center of the conduit set with the secondpassageway 6 form'edaround it, as

would bethecase, for all succeeding passageways. The set of conduits comprising 5 and 6 proceed into the distribution chambers contained in mandrel 13. As the setpasses through the solid wall 10 of the distribution chamber 7 the'outside passageway 6 empties into 7. The other conduit passes through chamber 7 to its distribution chamberlZ. The fluids are distributed from the chambersby outlets 8. The mandrel 13 and conduit sets 4 may be secured and theffluids may be introduced into the passageway by any suitablemeans.

One means of securing the device and feeding the passageways is shown in FIG. 2 and also in the FIG. 3 section drawing. The fluid enters chambers Sand 11 through inlet 2 where they pass into passageways 5 and 6respectively. The block I is secured to the sprayapparatusframe such that the device is oriented in the manner shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for

one type of spray apparatus. A rotary seal prevents the fluid leaking at the point 9 where the conduit set joins the block I.

FIG. 5 shows material to be coated moving in the direction of the arrows in the top corners. The spray gunsmounted on arms 15 and 16 rotate in the directionindicated-bythe arrows around the axis of rotation 18. These gunsare turned onat point 13 by an air line and turned off by: said air line at point 14. Two fluid coatings are fed to alternate guns (that is, one to guns 15 and one to guns 16) which apply'the coating simultaneously, thus allowing them to run'together producing a swirled or marble cake effect.

EXAMPLE I With reference to FIG. 3, atomization air under a pressure of p.s.i.g., is fed into chamber3 through inlet 2 while cylinder air, which operates an on-off mechanism in the spray apparatus is fed into chamber 11 under a pressure of 50 p.s.i.g. The atomization air flows into distribution chamber 12 where it is distributed to the eight spray guns of a spray apparatus as in FIG. 5'. Black and white coating fluids having a viscosity 20 cps, are fed into the other conduit set in the same manner under equal pressures of 5 to 10 psi. The black coating flows at a rate of 0.l gal/min. from chamber 19 to distribution chamber 20 which is adjacent tochamber 12. The juncture of the walls of chambers 12 and 20 forms aline of symmetry A, midway between the bases of themandrel. The white coating flows at a rate of 0.2 gaL/min. from chamber 22 to distribution chamber 21. The two coatings are thendistributed .to alternate spray guns, black to guns 15 and whiteto guns 16. The dimensions of the mandrel are 4 inches base diameter and a height of respect to saidplane.

chamber within the manifoldsupplyingcoating fluid of a particular type andcolor to. that chamber for a. an inside conduit whichenters a separate distribution a. an inside'conduit Wl'llCll enters a separate distribution chamber for supplying atomized air to the chamber for further distribution to all the spray guns; and

b. an outside conduit which enters a separate distribution chamber for supplying air from an intermittent spraying control device to the chamber for further distribution to all the spray guns.

An air operated intermittent spraying device connected to a distribution chamber on the air side of the four-chambered cylindrical manifold by concentric air feed lines, which is adapted to turn the spray guns on when theguns are over the material being sprayed and off when the guns are not over the material; the on/off cyclebeing controlled at an average of.0.6 second intervals with the sprayingapparatus rotating at a velocity of 2.6 radii per second and operational air being supplied by cylinder air at 40 to 60 p.s.i.

2. A manifold as in claim 6 having-two blocks secured to tl lj; spray apparatus, each block being used for supporting the manifold and for introduction of fluid intothe concentric conduit feed lines of the manifold, each of said blocks containing an inlet chamber for each passageway of the conduit which in turn leads to the individual manifold distribution chambers. 

